The 365-sq km (141-sq mile) Gaza strip, controlled by Hamas, is home to around two million Palestinians. Egypt had been opening the Rafah crossing for only a few days at a time to allow stranded travelers to pass. The crossing was opened early on Tuesday and a bus carrying Palestinians arrived in Egypt, two Egyptian sources at the crossing said. Rafah will remain open “until further notice”, one source at the checkpoint and an Egyptian security source said. Palestinian sources attending the Cairo talks said they had been told by Egyptian intelligence officials that the move was designed to create a better atmosphere at the negotiations.

Source: Egypt Independent February 10, 2021 09:11 UTC